While comforting Bai Xingxian, Yin Changli’s divine consciousness remained fixed on Xiang Haikui.

Seeing her cup was empty, he freed one hand to conjure a glass of orange juice and transmitted a message: “You don’t think I’m teaching Xiao Bai this way because I harbor resentment toward the Heavenly Race, do you?”

Xiang Haikui finished gnawing on the deer leg and wiped her mouth. “I wouldn’t think that. After all, your teaching methods have always been like this…”

Peculiar.

Back during the intensive training at the Myriad Bones Cave, she had experienced it firsthand. “But there’s something I don’t quite understand.”

Yin Changli: “Speak.”

Xiang Haikui couldn’t make sense of it: “Why didn’t Shuluoye do it himself? Why did he have to have a son to do it?”

Yin Changli fell silent briefly, then asked, “Are you asking me why he didn’t kill his father to seize power?”

Xiang Haikui: …

“Then, after the former Emperor died, why didn’t he kill his way back to the Upper Realm? Isn’t his spiritual sense stronger than Jing Ran’s?”

“By the time the former Emperor perished, he was already far inferior to his younger brother.” Yin Changli didn’t explain in detail but sighed softly. “Besides, Shuluoye didn’t have so many ambitions back then. Many of his ‘principles’ were gradually enlightened upon after being banished to the Underworld, standing at his life’s lowest point and witnessing the vicissitudes of time. It wasn’t something achieved overnight.”

“But by then, because he had been experimenting on himself to separate his spiritual sense, his soul was too severely damaged. He was destined not to live much longer.”

Xiang Haikui nodded, glancing at Xiao Bai with his eyes swollen from crying.

If Xiao Bai could overcome his nature, as Yin Changli suggested, helping him ascend to power would indeed achieve the most comprehensive peace for all races in this world at the smallest cost.

However, compared to “world peace,” she cared more about Bai Xingxian’s future.

Shuluoye was undoubtedly formidable—thoughtful, visionary, capable, and resourceful.

But whether he qualified as a good father remained questionable.

Xiao Bai’s existence seemed exactly like a little lab rat born to fulfill a purpose.

Seeing the darkness in her eyes, Yin Changli guessed her thoughts and quickly said, “Little Kui, the plan didn’t come first, then Xiao Bai.”

Xiang Haikui: “Oh?”

Yin Changli: “Shuluoye was originally creating a divine weapon. Xiao Bai’s birth was unexpected. Only then did he pause the crafting of the divine weapon and focus all his attention on Xiao Bai. Consequently, the divine weapon was never completed, and both his son and the weapon were left to me.”

Hearing this explanation, Xiang Haikui felt much better.

Mainly because when he told Xiao Bai about his origins, he hadn’t mentioned Xiao Bai’s mother at all. Now it seemed the story might not have been particularly pleasant, which explained his silence.

These grand figures who accomplished great deeds rarely indulged in sentimental attachments.

After experiencing numerous trials and tribulations, Xiang Haikui deeply realized that she was destined to be mediocre.

It had nothing to do with capability—she simply lacked vision. Just as Han Qi had said about her, she based her actions purely on “love, hate, joy, and anger.”

And she had decided to persist to the end, never repenting.

Even after dealing with the matters here, her desire to return to Earth for retirement remained strong.

Yin Changli observed her, missing not a single microexpression, trying to decipher her thoughts: “I’ll find a way.”

This unexpected statement confused Xiang Haikui. “Hmm?”

“About your return to your homeland—I’ll find a way,” Yin Changli promised. “I was the one who brought you here, so I’ll be responsible for sending you back.”

Xiang Haikui’s mouth opened slightly before she expressed her gratitude: “But you should focus on your important matters first.”

Yin Changli responded without hesitation: “It’s equally important, just as legitimate.”

Xiang Haikui withdrew her gaze and drained her orange juice in one gulp. “Senior.”

Yin Changli: “Yes?”

Xiang Haikui: “Xiao Bai’s snot is about to drip onto your leg.”

Yin Changli froze, looked down, and immediately frowned, extending a finger to push Xiao Bai’s forehead away from him.

Xiang Haikui smiled. At that moment, besides Bai Xingxian’s crying, she caught a whiff of a foul odor so pungent it nearly made her vomit up all the venison she had eaten.

Lu Xiqiao emerged from the rear hall, and the stench emanated from him.

Xiang Haikui gagged and pinched her nose. “Did you fall into a cesspool?”

Lu Xiqiao had already become numb to the smell. “Sister Kui, don’t look down on me. I’m just expelling turbid energy.”

He cast a grateful glance at Yin Changli. “Senior Yin taught me this technique. He said expelling this turbid energy works better than suppressing it with pure energy.”

Senior Yin was truly approachable, not at all as harsh as Sister Kui and Xiao Bai had described.

He wasn’t even afraid that the stench would permeate the entire palace.

Yin Changli opened his fluffy fan and began waving it with a slight pursing of his lips. “You’re welcome.”

“Stop!” Xiang Haikui extended her palm, signaling Lu Xiqiao not to come any closer. “Just stay there.”

If he came any closer, she would throw up. She stood up, leaning on the table. “I’m going back to my room to meditate.”

As she turned, her gaze swept over Bai Xingxian and Lu Xiqiao, and she sighed conflictedly.

Look at the three of them.

Lu Xiqiao struggled between “pure goodness” and “turbid evil,” while Xiao Bai was about to face the struggle between “celestial nature” and “human nature.”

As for herself, her Tian Kuang had reached its maximum level, but her cultivation couldn’t keep up, leaving her at risk of falling into madness at any moment.

They truly made up the year’s most pitiful trio.

Yin Changli watched her retreating figure. “When your physical injuries heal a bit more, I’ll take you all to a place.”

…

Fundamentally, the three of them were at a crucial stage of cultivating their hearts and minds.

Once their mental states stabilized, their cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds.

Yin Changli knew of a secret ice spring location that would benefit all three of them.

Xiang Haikui spent a month recovering most of her physical health. After Yin Changli had also settled the affairs of Bi’an City, they set off for the ice spring.

As usual, Xiao Bai pulled the carriage. The little black ball ran for a full day or two before reaching its destination.

“We’ve arrived, Uncle.”

Xiang Haikui heard Xiao Bai sneeze several times in succession and instinctively wrapped her heavy cloak tighter. “Is it that cold outside?”

Yin Changli opened the palace gate. “We’re still outside Ice Spring Mountain. It’s not that cold yet.”

“He’s probably cold because he doesn’t have fur,” Lu Xiqiao said after hearing Yin Changli’s assessment, fearlessly leaving the traveling palace.

As soon as he stepped out, he let out an “Ah!”

Xiang Haikui tensed up. “What happened?”

Lu Xiqiao: “Oh, nothing. Just got punched by the wind. Fortunately, Xiao Bai caught me, otherwise, I might have been punched into the sky.”

Xiang Haikui took a deep breath, causing Yin Changli to furrow his brow slightly. Perhaps being a cold-blooded species himself, his perception of cold differed.

“Wait.” Yin Changli reached out and produced a small stove, handing it to her. “This is a Wind-Fixing Stove.”

Xiang Haikui quickly took it—now was not the time for politeness.

Hugging the Wind-Fixing Stove, she had just exited the traveling palace and stood at the foot of the mountain when Xiang Haikui already felt the terror of this place. “If it’s already like this outside the mountain, won’t we be frozen solid inside?”

“That’s why I can’t accompany you in.” Yin Changli was wrapped even more thickly than she was. Having just awakened from his dormant period, approaching the ice spring would likely cause him to fall into hibernation again. “But don’t worry, I’ve found trustworthy clansmen to protect you… all.”

“That’s unnecessary, isn’t it?” Xiang Haikui thought it was pointless.

With the three of them together, unless Dugu He, Di Jun, or Han Qi showed up to kill them, no one else stood a chance.

Yin Changli gazed at her. “It’s just a precaution. After all… those two aren’t particularly clever, and you lack experience…”

Xiang Haikui saw the logic but questioned, “You’re sending someone from your clan?”

How much stronger could they be?

Yin Changli smiled. “The males of the fox clan are quite intelligent. When I’m not in the clan, they’re responsible for looking after everyone.”

The Mountain Sea Fox Clan—Xiang Haikui’s eyes immediately brightened.

“He’s here,” Yin Changli said, looking in a certain direction.

Following his gaze, Xiang Haikui only saw a square-faced man with small eyes, dressed in black, whose appearance couldn’t even be called ordinary.

“A fox?”

“Yes, from the Rock Fox Clan. Extremely intelligent.”

Xiang Haikui’s mouth twitched. This Rock Fox surely had the blood of the Tibetan fox, known for having the lowest appearance rating in the fox world. “Aren’t Nine-Tailed Foxes intelligent too?”

“They are,” Yin Changli nodded. Until now, she couldn’t smell the fragrance from his body. He decided to stop beating around the bush. “But how could I possibly send a good-looking and intelligent Nine-Tailed Fox to accompany you during seclusion? Even this one was carefully selected as the ugliest out of three thousand Rock Foxes, without exception.”